The present invention relates generally to door locks and more specifically to door locks for the inactive door of a two door set of swinging doors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lock for preventing movement of the inactive door of a two door swinging door combination prior to the opening of the active door.
Many entryways or doorways include two adjacent swinging doors that meet in the middle of the doorway as opposed to a single door. The two doors are constructed different from one another and are commonly referred to as the inactive door and the active door. The inactive door remains closed or locked for most applications. A bolt or latch is commonly used to lock the inactive door to the floor and/or to the ceiling. The locks of the inactive door may be operated manually. For example, handles for the locks may be provided in recess areas along the inside edge of the inactive door.
The active door is typically locked by securing it to the inactive door. Specifically, a latch is provided in the active door which extends outward from an inside edge of the active door and is received in a recess in the inside edge of the inactive door. The latch may be locked into place to secure the active door against the inactive door. In addition, a deadbolt may be provided to secure the active door against the inactive door.
It is important to insure that the inactive door is locked and immobilized when the active and inactive doors are in a closed position. If the inactive door is not locked or secured into place, the user may accidentally lock the active door against the inactive door and, subsequently, someone else may attempt to enter the two doors by applying pressure against either the active or the inactive doors. Because each door is attached to the door frame by hinges disposed on the outside edge surfaces of the doors, any pressure applied near the inside edge surfaces of the doors when the active door is locked to the inactive door but when the inactive door is not locked to the floor or to the door frame will result in a leveraged force imposed upon the active door lock which can result in breakage of the active door lock and damage the recess disposed in the inside edge of the inactive door.
It has been found that the error in not securing the inactive door to the door frame or to the floor is a common occurrence. Further, if the inactive door is closed, and not locked, and the active door is subsequently closed and locked to the inactive door, there is no clear visual indication that the inactive door is unlocked. Still further, when the inactive door is unlocked and the active door is locked to the inactive door, pressure applied to the inside edge of the inactive or active doors will result in some movement of the doors. A user can mistakenly interpret this limited movement as an indication that the doors are simply sticking or that there is a minor obstruction on the opposite side of the doors. Hence, the user will frequently apply additional pressure to the doors forcing the doors open and breaking the lock of the active door and causing damage to both the active and inactive doors.
Active and inactive door combinations are currently available which include matching handles. The inactive door handle is capable of activating shoot bolt locks to lock the inactive door in place. The shoot bolts may be extended or locked by pivoting the handle in the appropriate fashion. However, as discussed above, these types of inactive doors may be accidentally closed and left unlocked. The active door may then be closed and locked to the inactive door thereby creating the situation where pressure inadvertently applied to either the active or inactive door can cause the active and inactive doors to be forcibly separated causing damage to the active door lock and to the inactive door. Still further, the inactive door shoot bolts may be inadvertently retracted while the doors are closed by failing to operate the inactive door handle properly. Because there is no clear visual indication as to when the inactive door is locked, a consumer who mistakenly unlocks the inactive door may not realize the mistake.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved inactive door lock system which prevents the inactive door from being unlocked after the active door is locked or latched to the inactive door. Further, there is a need for an improved lock system for an inactive door which blocks or prevents the active door from being locked or latched to the inactive door when the inactive door is unlocked. In other words, it would be highly beneficial to have an inactive door lock system which would prevent the active door from being locked or latched to the inactive door unless the inactive door is first properly locked or secured to the door frame and/or the floor.